As a journalist John has covered everything from rural town meetings to the U.S. Congress and even done time as a crime reporter and photographer.|His first venture into writing about the game industry came in the form of a computer column called "On the Chip Side," which grew to have over 1 million circulation and was published in newspapers in several states. From there he did several "ask the computer guy" columns in magazines such as Up Front! in New Mexico and Who Cares? in Washington D.C. When the Internet started to become popular, he began writing guided Web tours for the newly launched Washington Post online section as well as reviews for the weekend section of the paper, something he still does from time to time.
His experience in trade publications came as a writer and reviewer for Government Computer News.
As the editor of GiN, he demands strict editorial standards from all the writers and reviewers. Breeden feels the industry needs a weekly, reliable trade publication covering the games industry and works tirelessly to accomplish that goal.
It is rare indeed to see the sequel to anything — movies, television shows or games — actually turn out better than the original. Sequels usually fall into either the category of either a hastily made game that relies too heavily on its predecessor for plot, or a simple add-on pack that is not really a new game at all. I was relieved and pleased to find that this was not the case with Myth II: Soulblighter. The folks at Bungie were smart enough to keep basically the same interface as the original Myth, and pack the game with enough … Continue reading Myth II: Soulblighter will conquer strategy gamers→
Settlers III is not a game that will leap out at players as the most fascinating thing they have ever played. In fact, looking at the online help book can be quite daunting. But once you start to understand how to build your settlements into thriving colonies, Settlers can become quite addictive. The premise in this latest installment of the Settlers series finds your tiny hamlet on a vast unexplored world. This is not unlike the hundreds of other resource gathering and conquest games out there, but the beauty of Settlers is in the details. Settlers III has the most … Continue reading Settlers III will grow on you.→
It is so refreshing to find a 3D shooter that offers something different. Sure, Unreal and Half-Life are great games that have collectively sucked a lot of time away from my busy schedule. But at their core, they are all about getting to the biggest gun first and then blowing away anything that moves. Looking Glass Studios’ newest offering Thief: The Dark Project is different. If you try to play Thief the way you normally play Unreal, you are going to die quicky and painfully. After all, you are playing a thief in this game, so you better act like … Continue reading Thief: The Dark Project will steal your heart→
When I reviewed the original Fallout, I said that 80 years after a global nuclear war, the old neighborhood had changed a bit. Now Fallout 2 takes place a generation after the first, but things in the wasteland haven’t changed that much. Your character still has to face all the greed, crime, corruption, murder and mayhem that a degenerating society can throw at them, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun. When the original Fallout came out, people were amazed that such a quality role-playing game could take place without an elf, magic-user or dragon in sight. Many … Continue reading Fallout 2 serves up a mess of nukes and kooks→
Wow. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Interplay’s Heart of Darkness. One of the best things Interplay ever did was to divide its development houses into different areas of expertise. Heart comes from Tantrum, the action game side of the family. With low system requirements making it accessible to nearly anyone who bought a computer sometime in the past four years (66 MHz required), simple controls and a story line that appeals to both adults and children, Heart is destined for greatness. In early GiN industry awards voting (see our Web page if you have … Continue reading Heart of Darkness has soul of adventures past→
Having grown up playing the various mech combat games, I was excited to see that FASA Interactive and MicroProse had gotten together to add a new twist to the old genre of piloting giant robotic warriors, or mechs, into battle. What they have created is an excellent addition to any mech fan’s collection, though it does stray rather far from the original pen and paper game. The first thing players will notice is the incredible introduction. Through the use of live actors interspersed with computer drawn sequences, the mood is quickly set and the premise of the game explained. The … Continue reading MechCommander will fry competition→
Finally someone has the guts to create a real-time combat game about, of all things, combat. Myth: The Fallen Lords is not a game for the diplomatic game players among us. In Myth, players are assigned a small cadre of troops for each mission, be it multiplayer against human foes online or undead computer armies. Armchair generals have to figure out how to direct their force’s strengths against opponent’s weaknesses. Sun Tzu would be proud. Farming, mining uber-minerals, diplomacy and constructing bases have all been delightfully left out of Myth. With all their energies directed at making realistic hand-to-hand combat, … Continue reading Myth: The Fallen Lords is a bar-raising medieval hackfest→
Creatures can realistically claim what few other games can: that it’s fun to play from the cradle to the grave. Or more specifically, it’s fun from the incubation bin to the memorial headstone. Creatures is one of the most unique games to come out in years. Seamlessly combining genetics, the processing of brain chemicals and artificial intelligence is something I don’t think has ever been achieved before now. And it’s fun too. The Norns that players have to nurture from birth are highly intelligent, curious creatures that require a gentle hand and a watchful eye. Having too many "alive" at … Continue reading Creatures Is The Only Digital Pet You’ll Ever Need→
Imagine guiding a newborn baby through a deadly maze of lava pits, toxic clouds and spinning laser turrets. You can’t actually touch the child, but he has the capacity to learn from his mistakes. Such is the fun and often highly frustrating world of Anark Software’s Galapagos. Players are charged with guiding a newly born metal bug named Mendel in his attempts to escape the evil workshop that created him. (The plot is a little thin but that’s not where this game’s strength is at.) When Mendel is born his mind is as blank as a political candidate on the … Continue reading Galapagos makes a new(born) splash in industry→
Westwood Studio’s Blade Runner is a real-time adventure that is to the game world today what the movie was for that industry 10 years ago: a sci-fi thrill ride that pushes industry standards to a new level. Westwood has done an excellent job recreating the dark urban world of Los Angeles in 2019 on four CDs. Players will feel like they are inside the movie. There are over 100 interactive areas of the city you can find and explore. And, the game looks perfect – even better than in the movie – without any hardware acceleration required. Realistic fog, fire, … Continue reading Blade Runner is a cut above normal adventure games→
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